Jeremiah 18:1-11
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me: Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it. And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord: Look, I am a potter shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, all of you, from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
As I came into my third decade of life I had a life-changing moment, a spiritual conversion of sorts. It came at a Maundy Thursday service in 2010 when I was asked to passage from the 1st Letter from Paul to the Corinthians, “For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
I spent almost my entire life swinging from all-out believer to apparent atheist and back again. As a kid, I only went to church to be with my grandma but always loved the stories and the music. In my teens years I was too busy for church and no one I knew believed in God, so I decided I didn’t either. However, there were still times when I went to church – usually during occasions of sorrow, or confusion. I never could explain my need to go to church, and it certainly didn’t make me go on a regular basis. But for brief, inexplicable moments, I found peace in those buildings.
Everything changed when I had my eldest child. Suddenly, it was very important to me that they be baptized and raised in a church. During the Baptismal interview, my newly-found minister asked me one very important question – why do I want my child to be baptized? I couldn’t answer that question right away – I just knew it was something I had to do, something my heart was telling me to do.
Subsequently, we started coming to church. Only on Mondays at first, as it was a more laid-back, contemplative service where you could choose how much you participated. I was very hesitant in the beginning, unsure of my beliefs and my reasons for being there. I didn’t even take part in communion the first few times we came.
I did, however, decide to attend services during Holy Week, beginning with Maundy Thursday. I was asked at the last minute to read the Epistle and, having not read a bible in many years, had no idea what I was about to read. I think I hesitated somewhere around “this is my body”. The realization of the words I was about to speak struck me speechless. The Eucharistic Prayer is such an important part of Jesus’ story; I was humbled and honoured to be speaking these words aloud. Silly as it seems, in my head, these words should have only been spoken by priests.
Suddenly, I felt the weight something on my right shoulder, like a hand lending comfort and strength. I looked over but of course there was no one there. Just the priest, sitting in her chair, head down in prayer and listening to the reading. It was a very powerful moment. I knew in my heart that God touched my shoulder that night, telling me it was okay to go on, to finish reading the prayer. I felt a presence in those words, a presence that I felt physically, emotionally, and spiritually. As my lips sounded out the words of the Eucharistic prayer, I knew my life had changed forever. That night, I became a disciple of Jesus.
That’s when I really started listening to the readings, to the songs, to the prayers. I learned the Lord’s Prayer as a child, but I never really listened to the words. Same with all the music. Most of it was the same as when I was younger, but only after that Maundy Thursday service I really started to understand the meaning of the words behind the music.
As I began hearing the words, not just listening to them, I finally understood what God had been trying to say to me all these years – that God is here, that God wants to be a part of my life, and that God loves me. God’s words are beautiful and have changed my life.
I have received so many lessons throughout my life that I finally stopped to listen and let God’s hands guide me in the right direction. As easy as clay in a potter’s hands, a person can be reshaped by turning their mind and heart to God. By reading the word of God, praying to God, and listening to God, we can all be the clay in the hands of the Divine Potter.
Questions for reflection:
1. Sometimes we need a little nudge to head in the right direction. Have you ever had a moment in your life where you could physically feel the touch of God?
2. Doubt and faith have always walked together. Have you always believed in God, or did you have a spiritual conversation of some kind?
God calls us to be evangelists. Are you willing to talk about the moments where God touches your life, or do you keep it tucked away inside your heart?
No comments:
Post a Comment